THE WAY TO THE HAPPINESS OF PEACE
The way to the happiness of peace
has three stands in the basic, the preliminary and the Noble Path.
THE BASIC PATH
To enter the basic path one must gain a proper understanding of the fundamental right view on kamma. It says that moral actions always beget wholesome results and immoral actions always beget unwholesome results. It is on the basis of this understanding that one follows the morality, which is in accordance with the Eightfold Path. One leads a virtuous life, cultivating good intentions, effort, speech, and livelihood and is mindful of the higher things in life. By ‘good’ we mean that which conducive to the extinction of defilements.
THE HAPPINESS OF PEACE:
1. Basic Path
2. Preliminary Path
3. Noble Path
This right view on kamma however
can not only become absent in individuals but get lost even in whole societies.
Still, it will not disappear altogether from the surface of the world.
If it vanishes in one country, it will spring up in another to some degree.
For this reason, it is also called the light of the world, or the light
of samsara, the round of birth and death. The benefit derived from this
right view is the ability to avoid evil deeds and to perform good actions
with strong determination.
THE PRELIMINARY PATH AND THE NOBLE PATH
EIGHT PRECEPTS
1. not to kill
2. not to steal
3. to be celibate
4. not to lie
5. not to take intoxicants
6. not to eat after midday
7. not to dance, sing, enjoy music,
put cosmetics or adornments
8. not to use luxurious seats and
beds
SIX SENSE DOORS:
1. eye door
2. ear door
3. nose door
4. tongue door
5. body door
6. mind door
In meditation centres yogis usually observe eight precepts, bent on avoiding evil and doing good. Such a wholesome mindfulness and concentration. The dedicated observance of precepts frees one from the gross faults of greed, hatred defilements. This also occurs when one is noting phenomena arising at the six sense doors. For example, while watching the rising and falling of the abdomen, the transgressive defilements as well as those that occur at the mental level do not arise. With continued exertion of energy the power of observation will gather momentum.
The defilements are more easily kept away. What matters most is that the drive against the defilements is constant and vigilant. Otherwise one may drift to the opposite direction, into laziness, unmindfulness and distrartedness of mind.
The application of energy may be described with the use of a simile: It is like filling an empty, narrow-necked bottle (full of air) with water. Each drop removes a little air. But because the mouth is small, one needs to be accurate and careful to ensure that the drops fall straight in.
Like the vacuum flask, which can keep the water cool for a long time, one should likewise be able to keep the mind free from defilements for a long time. When there is the right object at the right time and one is able to go on noting, one will begin to gain insight3 into mind and matter, their causal relationship and so on, until one reaches the Noble Path where the relevant defilements are completely uprooted.
The practice of mindfulness in the preliminary path is
none other than the mind-training given by the Buddha in the Discourse
on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (see chapter 3, page 13). If one
practices the foundations of mindfulness seriously, then one treads the
Noble Eightfold Path itself: -
EIGHTFOLD NOBLE PATH:
Wisdom Group
1. Right View
2. Right Speech or thought
3. Right Speech
Morality Group
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
Concentration Group
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
a) The careful noting at the sense doors, for example the occurrences of the rising and falling at the belly, has to be with effort. This is Right Effort.
b) One ensures that nothing escapes mindfulness, for example one closely notes every sound, every painful sensation, etc. ‘This is Right Mindfulness.
c) While noting, the mind concentrates intently on the noted object. This is Right Concentration.
These three factors constitute the concentration group of the Eightfold Path.
d) While watching the rising of the abdomen the mind is aware of the characteristics of the primary elements-such as hardness, heat and motion. It is also aware of the arising and vanishing of these characteristics; of their unsatisfactory nature and the absence of anyone controlling their occurrence. This knowledge happens in meditators not because the meditation teacher speaks about it and not through study but intuitively, based on direct personal experience. This is Right View.
e. At the time of observation the mind must attend to the right object in the right way. This is Right Aim, which is free from wrong aim at thoughts of sensual desire, ill-will and cruelty.
These two factors make up the wisdom group of the Path.
f. During his retreat a meditator abstains from lying, slanderous speech, harsh speech and from idle chatter. This fulfils Right Speech
g. On retreat one also abstains from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, taking intoxicants, etc. This is Right Action.
h) In abstaining from wrong speech and wrong action in earning one’s living, one also satisfies the conditions for Right Livelihood.
These last three factors make up the morality group of the Path.
A meditator also develops during
her or his insight meditation the understanding of the Four Noble Truths.
Four Noble Truths
1. Truth of Suffering.
2. Truth of the Origin.
3. Truth of the Cessation
4. Truth of the Way leading
This is illustratated as follows:
i) While trying to observe the rising and falling of the abdomen, pain, restlessness, etc are notice. These things area things are suffering. One comes to know what there is to be known about the truth of suffering inherent in all conditioned things.
ii) In meditation one is abandoning the cause of suffering, namely craving with its companions ignorance and anger.
iii) There comes about a momentary extinction of defilements, which is the mundane truth of the cessation of suffering.
iv) And of course the truth of the
path is being developed with each moment of proper mindfulness.
CHAPTER 3.....
Notes:
Make hay while the sun shines. This is good advice to remind you to do things in time. For instance, if you are bleeding, you must at once be taken to the nearest hospital to save your life. In such a case time is very important. If you are late by one hour you may die. Likewise you must practise the Dhamma while there is still time, that is before you become too old or too indisposed, or before death takes you over. You must practise when you have a teacher and when you have the opportunity or convenience. Just as youth is the best time for secular education, so also the first period of life is ideal for the practice of insight meditation, because you are young, active and free from responsibilities.
Upandita
ON THE PATH TO FREEDOM, page 43